In Focus Chinese Astrology provides all you need to know about the characteristics and workings of the Chinese zodiac signs, along with information on how to interpret your astrological chart. Many of us are familiar with the Western horoscope based on twelve signs starting with Aries the Ram and ending with Pisces the Fish. Similarly, the Chinese zodiac is based on twelve signs, all represented by animals, that provide insight into your personality and character. Though you are most likely familiar with your year sign, you will soon discover there is much more beyond that. In Focus Chinese Astrology is the perfect introduction—or refresher—to interpreting your horoscope according to the Eastern zodiac. Learn more about yourself and those around you in this compact but illuminating guide. This artfully designed guide covers a wide range of astrology topics, including: The animals of the zodiac The elements that are paired with your zodiac sign The effects of yin and yang on your sign The four pillar system, based on the year, month, day, and hour of your birth Predictions for the years ahead Advice on love, careers, and more! The In Focus series applies a modern approach to teaching the classic body, mind, and spirit subjects. Authored by experts in their respective fields, these beginner’s guides feature smartly designed visual material that clearly illustrates key topics within each subject.

Exploring Confucianism, communism, Taoism, and a number of other societal influences in the commercial and corporate culture of China today, this handbook serves as a manual for people working with the Chinese and helps businesspeople gain a better understanding of the many aspects of Chinese intercultural interaction and cooperation. This resource offers a comprehensive cultural and historical background on building relationships with China by weaving expert knowledge with practical techniques on how to successfully navigate the Chinese business environment and its rules of etiquette.

The Qing dynasty (1636–1912)—a crucial bridge between “traditional” and “modern” China—was remarkable for its expansiveness and cultural sophistication. This engaging and insightful history of Qing political, social, and cultural life traces the complex interaction between the Inner Asian traditions of the Manchus, who conquered China in 1644, and indigenous Chinese cultural traditions. Noted historian Richard J. Smith argues that the pragmatic Qing emperors presented a “Chinese” face to their subjects who lived south of the Great Wall and other ethnic faces (particularly Manchu, Mongolian, Central Asian, and Tibetan) to subjects in other parts of their vast multicultural empire. They were attracted by many aspects of Chinese culture, but far from being completely “sinicized” as many scholars argue, they were also proud of their own cultural traditions and interested in other cultures as well. Setting Qing dynasty culture in historical and global perspective, Smith shows how the Chinese of the era viewed the world; how their outlook was expressed in their institutions, material culture, and customs; and how China’s preoccupation with order, unity, and harmony contributed to the civilization’s remarkable cohesiveness and continuity. Nuanced and wide-ranging, his authoritative book provides an essential introduction to late imperial Chinese culture and society.

Translated from classical Chinese texts for the first time comes this authoritative guide to two of China's most enduring ancient arts.

Ideal for high school and college students studying history through the everyday lives of men and women, this book offers intriguing information about the jobs that people have held, from ancient times to the 21st century. This unique book provides detailed studies of more than 300 occupations as they were practiced in 21 historical time periods, ranging from prehistory to the present day. Each profession is examined in a compelling essay that is specifically written to inform readers about career choices in different times and cultures, and is accompanied by a bibliography of additional sources of information, sidebars that relate historical issues to present-day concerns, as well as related historical documents. Readers of this work will learn what each profession entailed or entails on a daily basis, how one gained entry to the vocation, training methods, and typical compensation levels for the job. The book provides sufficient specific detail to convey a comprehensive understanding of the experiences, benefits, and downsides of a given profession. Selected accompanying documents further bring history to life by offering honest testimonies from people who actually worked in these occupations or interacted with those in that field.

Feng Shui for Architecture is an easy-to-use manual to incorporate Scientific Feng Shui into the design, renovation, and decorating of your home. The final goal is to support your well-being, as well as your family's, in all aspects of life. It is also particularly useful during a real estate pre-acquisition inspection, for it offers examples of bad Feng Shui (to avoid), good Feng Shui (to desire), and how to correct any overall problems. This will help you to evaluate the kind of investment to be made and to make the property Feng Shui proof (as well as decide if you want to either buy it or pass on it). The only book on the market written by an architect, interior designer, and Feng Shui expert who has over 20 years of expertise in the fields of architectural planning, design, and Scientific Feng Shui Mastery, Feng Shui for Architecture is largely the result of answering frequent questions that have arisen over the years by concerned Feng Shui and Interior Architecture students in classes taught by the author as well as addressing common issues brought up by professional architects, designers, and clients with whom the author has consulted with during the development of hundreds of projects (and whom are also the same people who encouraged her to write this book). Editorial Reviews "Dr. Simona Mainini has an astonishing ability to interpret and install ancient Chinese formulas in such a way that they change lives today. Her discipline and precision in a field not often distinguished by these qualities is both unique and world class." Richard Ashworth Author of The Feng Shui Diaries Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of the Feng Shui Society "Dr. Mainini is one of those few, wonderful people who have managed to weld together the strict disciplines of architectural practice with the aesthetics and philosophies of the ancient Chinese traditions of Feng Shui. Readers can be assured that what she writes is not founded just on theory alone, but sound, practical experience." Derek Walters Author of The Feng Shui Handbook & The Complete Guide to Chinese Astrology "Feng Shui for Architecture is an excellent guide for both the Feng Shui professional and layperson. You can benefit from the knowledge presented here and use it to make your environment as harmonious as possible." Larry Sang Author of The Principles of Feng Shui President & Founder of The American Feng Shui Institute "Feng Shui for Architecture has been extremely inspirational to me and many of my students at the School of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). We are very impressed with Dr. Mainini's knowledge and experience. She brings a new pattern to design and architecture." Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos, PhD Author of Movel Moderno no Brasil Professor, Design Department, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil "The title and subtitle promises a lot-- and this book delivers even more! Dr. Mainini has done a fabulous job organizing and explaining-- in a clear, precise manner-- the principles of Feng Shui and the ancient Chinese art of placement for good energy flow as it applies to the spaces in which we live and work. Not only is this book great for the preparation of buildings, it is also extremely useful even if you are only searching for an energetically superior apartment, house, or office space to rent. If you are looking for an invaluable source of Feng Shui information to help bring harmony to your living and working space and your life, this is a book for you. I applaud Dr. Mainini for the publishing of this, her first book, and highly recommend it to those who want to learn more about this most fascinating modality of healing. A+!" Raphaelle Tamura Founder, Star of Peace Publishing Founder, Seraphim at Mount Shasta

Feng Shui is not all about tradition. The integration and harmony between the natural and built environments concerning modern architecture has long been discussed in Feng Shui, or more academically, Kan Yu. Based on Scientific Feng Shui for the Built Environment: Fundamentals and Case Studies published in 2011, this enhanced new edition has further taken into account the enhancements and new inputs in theories and applications. Emphasis is placed on two themes, sustainability and science. New case studies regarding sustainable design as viewed from a Feng Shui perspective, and integrated applications of different architectural models and their associations with Feng Shui concepts are added and elaborated. On science, other than exploring the new development of particle physics in relation to Feng Shui studies, a totally new approach to numerology and Luo Shu study based on modern linear algebra may bring readers new insight into the possibility of researching Feng Shui mathematically, in addition to the use of spherical trigonometry. This book offers a remarkable in-depth view of Feng Shui by integrating the historical theories with scientific explorations and examples of applications. It once again demonstrates that Feng Shui can be studied scientifically, and eventually scientific Feng Shui may become a new field of science in the academic world as well as a professional and orthodox discipline of architectural design for the built environment. Published by City University of Hong Kong Press. 香港城市大學出版社出版。

Books of Fate and Popular Culture in Early China is a comprehensive introduction to the manuscripts known as daybooks, examples of which have been found in Warring States, Qin, and Han tombs (453 BCE–220 CE). Their main content concerns hemerology, or “knowledge of good and bad days.” Daybooks reveal the place of hemerology in daily life and are invaluable sources for the study of popular culture. Eleven scholars have contributed chapters examining the daybooks from different perspectives, detailing their significance as manuscript-objects intended for everyday use and showing their connection to almanacs still popular in Chinese communities today as well as to hemerological literature in medieval Europe and ancient Babylon. Contributors include: Marianne Bujard, László Sándor Chardonnens, Christopher Cullen, Donald Harper, Marc Kalinowski, Li Ling, Liu Lexian, Alasdair Livingstone, Richard Smith, Alain Thote, and Yan Changgui.